A Murmur of Silence
by xXkneelbeforemeXx
Summary: We all know that there are many different Earths, almost too many to count. There is one Earth, however, one that is filled with mistakes and victories and pain and ease, just as all the others. Yet it's story has not been told. Allow me to remedy that. (Genderbend, may change to M later on)
1. Chapter 1

Avenge.

It's an odd word, isn't it? Simple, yet so meaningful. Many different ways of looking at it, too.

Revenge.

This one make more sense to me. It's something I've searched for my entire life, whether it be petty or profound.

My name is Loki. Would you like me to tell you a story?


	2. Chapter 2

There once lived two princesses, one with golden hair that shone, and one with emerald eyes that glimmered. The first princess was loyal and truthful, and would be a hero someday. The second was chaotic and dishonest, and only lived to someday die.

Their names were Thorrin and Loki, and they were the first to be.

-/-/-

"And you have a coat?"

Loki held back a smile at Frigga's concern. "Yes, Mother, I have a coat." She pressed a swift kiss to the older woman's cheek. "I'll be fine, I promise. Besides, you have allowed Thorrin to go on quests with barely a single nag. What makes me special?"

Frigga frowned. "If I nag, it is only in concern. This is your first time to Midgard in centuries."

"And I'll be fine, Mama," Loki reassured her, switching to her old name for her mother. She gasped as Frigga caught her in a tight hug.

"I know."


	3. Chapter 3

Stephanie skidded to a stop, barely avoiding running into the wall at the end of the alley. She could hear pounding footsteps as the man from the bar followed her. Quickly, she grabbed an old piece of wood leaning against the side of the alley and waited for him.

He rounded the corner, and slowed. "You bitch," he growled. "Tryin' to make me look like a damn fool."

"Sorry, but that wasn't me. You do that yourself." She only just kept the tremors out of her voice, and raised the stick so it rested on her shoulder like a baseball bat. Unfortunately, she wasn't prepared for the moment when he lunged at her, and the wood was easily knocked out of her grasp. She stumbled back, falling against the wall. His punch came quickly, but she grabbed his wrist and twisted.

_Throw your weight into it_.

Stephanie did so, and the man's arm twisted behind his back, his elbow cracking. He wrenched his hand away from her, hissing in pain, and threw another punch with his good arm. It hit her square in the jaw, and this time when she hit the wall her head cracked against it.

She fell to the ground, and a sharp kick into her side almost had her scream. Another, and she did. She coughed blood as the beating continued.

A crack, a thud, and it stopped.

Stephanie began to push herself up, only to be stopped by a gentle hand on her back.

"You're injured. I suggest you not strain yourself," said a woman's voice in a tone to match her touch.

Despite the warning, Stephanie sat up slowly, her body painfully protesting every move. The woman sighed and helped her. As soon as Stephanie was upright, she looked past the woman to her assailant. He laid on the ground, unmoving.

"Oh my God," she breathed in shock.

The woman followed her gaze and scoffed. "Don't worry, he's merely unconscious." The disdain in her voice was evident. She pulled out a handkerchief and began to dab at the skin around Stephanie's mouth. "Are you all right?"

Stephanie waved her off. "I'm fine. Ah, thanks."

"That's not necessary. I abhor scum such as him." She tilted her head. "What's your name?"

"Stephanie. Stephanie Rogers." She almost considered lying, but hadn't the woman helped her?

Said woman smiled. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Stephanie, though I would have preferred it under different circumstances. My name is Loki."


	4. Chapter 4

Loki helped Stephanie stand, one arm around her waist and her other hand cupped on the smaller woman's elbow. "Do you need me to help you travel to your residence?"

Stephanie was slightly unsettled by the woman's speech patterns, and shook her head quickly. She winced when a sharp burst of pain went through her forehead. "N-no, I'm fine. Thanks."

-/-/-

The next day, Stephanie stood in the small bathroom of her apartment and took a kitchen knife to her hair, cutting it roughly. She finished it off with a small pair of scissors, tidying it, then swept the thin blonde hair on her floor into the bin.

The rest of her "transformation" went by fairly quickly. She wrapped a roll of white bandages she had bought around her luckily small breasts, securing it with a thin piece of tape, then dressed hesitantly in the men's clothes she had convinced Bucky to buy for her. Finally, she grabbed her falsified papers.

Steven Grant Rogers went out to join the Army.


	5. Chapter 5

Stephanie groaned and tossed her third set of papers onto her bed, where they scattered over the comforter. It turned out that Steven Rogers was having as much luck joking the Army as Stephanie Rogers would, which was none. Even pretending to be male couldn't hide the fact that she was underweight, short, and asthmatic (which the bandages weren't helping).

What made it worse was she had no one to confide in. Bucky was gone doing who-knows-what in who-knows-where, and Stephanie had even gone back by the bar and alley to see if Loki hung around there, but to no avail.

She sighed and tugged her shirt over her head, casting it somewhere on the cold wood floor. The bandages were next, followed by her shoes, pants, and boxers. They soon were replaced by a bra, panties, and a light blue tea dress with shoes to match. She picked up her clutch (filled with just enough money for a show ticket) and left her apartment quickly, not wanting to miss the war reels they showed before the main cartoons.

-/-/-

Stephanie couldn't help but feel a twinge of anger at the man behind her as he yelled at the screen. These were the men giving their very lives to protect America's rights and freedom, and he had the nerve to disrespect them? It finally grew to more than a twinge, and she turned in her seat to face him. "Hey," she hissed, "you mind _shutting the hell up?_"

"Excuse you?" the man barked, and Stephanie felt her stomach sink.

It was the same man from the bar.


	6. Chapter 6

The next couple minutes were a blur, but time seemed to snap into focus when he pushed her roughly into the space between the theater and the next building.

_I really don't like alleys_.

Her back hit the ground, but she sat up quickly and scrambled backwards, hands searching behind her for something, anything she could use to protect herself. Her fingers hit a smooth piece of metal. Quickly, she pulled it forward and held it in front of herself- _a trash can lid,_ she dimly thought- just before the man grabbed it and pulled, bringing Stephanie up with it.

She stumbled to a standing position, clutching the lid for dear life. Nevertheless, he ripped it from her grasp and threw it to the ground. His arms wrapped around her neck, stifling her breath. She clawed at him, but to no avail. Dark spots began to appear in her vision, clouding together and darkening the world.


End file.
